Allentown Alumni meet for the final time

Thursday

ALLENTOWN — How many times has the old Allentown Alma Mata been sung before the last toll of the bell?

Sadly, no more. But the old girl has made her mark etched in the hearts of those who graduated, attended, taught and maintained the proud old building.

The original brick (at the right side of present building) was built in 1904, replacing the 1884 that oil built! However, there was no gymnasium and soon several other classes were added, and so was an addition to the brick building in 1933-34. Etched in the building is a motto “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve!” This motto would have been used as early as 1934.

More than 80 years later, the final Annual Allentown Alumni Banquet was held this summer, bringing about the end of an era.

The vote of the faithful 40 present was unanimous. No more Allentown Alumni banquets will be held. What now? Each of us will go on with memories and stories. But, now we must tell our children and grandchildren of the stories of “going to school at Allentown.”

It is not easy to tell the story of a building still proudly standing but crumbling, weathered and worn.

Allentown School was not just about individuals, it was about families. In June 1959, the last class proudly graduated on the stage of the school. From 1960 to 1980 the centralization with Scio Central School by Allentown provided the building as the Scio Elementary School. In 1980 the doors of the school were locked for the last time. Over 100 people attended the last banquet held in the School Gym in 1980. The bell tolled for the last time.

Memories go on. A documentary about Allentown and the School as the centerpiece has been nearly completed and will become a final tribute to be placed in a capsule at the Allegany County Historical Society Museum at Andover. A future news release will tell of the plans for this and the public will be invited to attend.

Families continue talking about the “old Allentown School.” And yet, a chapter is still incomplete. A stone memorial was placed in the lawn of the still-standing building during the 1980 meeting. The Memorial Plaque was stolen a few years ago and never found. At the June 2nd meeting, the Alumni voted to replace the plaque on the memorial and donated the balance of the treasury towards that purchase. It’s a start for remembrance.

Donations (marked “Allentown Memorial Plaque”) may be sent to the Allegany County Historical Society, P. O. Box 252, Andover NY 14806. Additional funds will be needed, but, all donations will be held in trust for the project by ACHS.

A small piece of the old school rests at the ACHS Museum in Andover. The last principal locked the door and took the office clock home with him, thereby saving it from disappearing. Upon his death the clock resurfaced and an Alumnus purchased it for the display at the Museum. Many stories were shared and yearbooks of decades gone by were viewed along with historic pictures. Even the log book of the Office Secretary showed the 1940s and forward until building closing of fire drills and “bomb drills.”

As the Alumni closed out the evening and the business meeting ended, all present were asked to sing the Alma Mater. The response was a 40-strong Choir in Unison to the last word!!

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